Chapter 7: Beneath the Surface

Paulina sat on the dining room table, her mind swirling in a countless loop of doubt and fear. Her father’s letter still haunted her, its cryptic warning repeating in her mind: "Trust nobody, no longer even individuals who share your blood." Every look from James, each word from Alexis, or even each gesture from Elijah felt laced with hidden meanings. But the truth was slippery, and he or she wasn’t certain whom she may want to rely on anymore.

Her telephone buzzed at the table, snapping her out of her mind. She picked it up, seeing a message from Elijah: “Need to talk. Meet me at the antique library in an hour.”

Paulina’s stomach twisted. Elijah has been developing greater excessive, greater possessiveness because she’d returned to the beyond. She couldn’t shake the sensation that there was something he wasn’t telling her, something darkish lurking under his smooth phrases and quiet demeanor. But for now, she wanted him. He changed into the simplest character who knew a part of the fact, and who could help her uncover her father’s secrets.

She stood up, slipping the letter into her pocket once again. She took one final look at her mirrored image inside the hallway replica. Her face was light, her eyes shadowed with sleepless nights and strain. This wasn’t the existence she had imagined. She had to combat for her future, for her sanity, but the route in advance was regarded as more and more treacherous.

As she left the residence, her thoughts drifted and returned to the confrontation with James the night time earlier. His conduct had ended up colder, extra suspicious. He was beginning to feel that she was now not the naïve woman who could hand the whole lot over to him on a silver platter. She had changed, and that scared him. For the first time, Paulina felt like she had the higher hand, even though most effective for a fleeting moment. But how long should she maintain the charade?

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The antique library turned into a quiet relic from a time when humans nevertheless used physical books to unencumbered the secrets and techniques of the world. Paulina drove open the heavy doors, the musty odor of aged paper and worn timber filling her lungs. It became nearly soothing, reminding her of the times she would study right here as a toddler, again while the world was easy and people’s intentions were clear.

Elijah turned to look ahead to her in the some-distance nook, seated at one of the historical look-at tables, his eyes scanning the room nervously. His darkish hair fell messily over his forehead, and there was an anxiety in his jaw that hadn’t been there earlier. He regarded her as she approached, and his expression softened, even though his eyes remained guarded.

“Paulina,” he stated, status as she reached the desk. “I started to assume you wouldn’t come.”

Paulina slid into the seat across from him, forcing a small smile. “I’m here. What’s this about, Elijah?”

He hesitated, glancing around as though a person was probably listening. “I’ve been thinking… about the entirety. About James, Alexis… approximately the company.”

Paulina’s heart raced, her instincts screaming that something wasn’t right. Elijah had usually been her ally, her early life friend, but currently, his protectiveness had taken on a part. She couldn’t permit him to realize how many tons she had learned or how far she was willing to go to discover the fact.

“I’m listening,” she said cautiously.

Elijah leaned ahead, his voice low. “You realize they’re making plans for something, right? James and Alexis—they’re no longer simply after your money. They’re after management. Complete management of your existence, of the organization, the whole lot your parents left you. And I… I need to help you prevent them.”

Paulina studied his face, her thoughts racing. She didn’t doubt that James and Alexis had been conspiring towards her—that they had completed it earlier than in her preceding life—but Elijah’s unexpected urgency unsettled her. Was he surely seeking to assist her, or was there something else using him?

“Why?” she asked, her voice quieter now. “Why do you care a lot, Elijah? What do you get out of this?”

Elijah’s eyes flickered with harm for a moment, but then his expression hardened. “Paulina, I’ve continually cared about you. Ever because we had been kids. You know that. I’m no longer doing this for me—I’m doing this because I can’t stand seeing them manage you, use you want you’re not anything more than a pawn of their recreation.”

Paulina’s chest tightened, her feelings warring within her. She desired to agree with him, to agree with the loyalty that they had shared for years. But the warning in her father’s letter gnawed at her, refusing to permit her to allow down her protection.

“What precisely are you providing?” she requested, choosing her words carefully.

Elijah hesitated for a moment, then leaned even closer. “I’ve been searching into James’ dealings—his enterprise contacts, his financial records. He’s been making movements in the back of you again, meeting with those who need to look at your family’s corporation being destroyed. He’s putting you up to fail, Paulina, and if you don’t act quickly, he’ll take everything.”

Paulina’s blood ran bloodless, although a part of her had predicted this. Of course James had plans to damage her—he continually had. But now, with the know-how of her beyond lifestyles, she felt slightly more organized. What she hadn’t predicted became Elijah’s deep involvement in this. Why was he so fixated on her and her business enterprise? Why was he inclined to hazard a lot for her?

“I’ve seen the documents,” Elijah persisted, pulling a small USB power from his jacket pocket and sliding it across the table to her. “Everything you need is right here. Proof that James is making plans to transport your own family’s assets offshore, to empty everything earlier than you even recognize what’s occurring. But we can prevent him, Paulina. Together.”

Paulina stared at the USB force, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for it. Her  heart raced, worry and suspicion tightening in her chest. If Elijah had told the reality, this could have been the key to exposing James earlier than it changed into too overdue. But if Elijah had his reasons—if he became gambling on her—then she turned into taking walks into a lure.

“I don’t realize what to mention,” she whispered, her voice slightly audible.

Elijah’s expression softened once more, his eyes looking at hers. “Say you’ll accept it as true with me. Say we’ll combat this together.”

Paulina’s mind spun. She needed Elijah’s help, however, could she trust him? She thought of the letter, the caution about trusting no one. Could Elijah be a part of the larger plot? Was his obsession with her just every other layer of manipulation?

Before she could solve it, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her  heart-stopping as she saw the name on the screen: James.

Paulina iced over. James never called her. He commonly favored dealing with her individually, his manipulative smile doing greater damage than phrases ever should. But this—this becomes surprising.

She looked up at Elijah, whose eyes had darkened as he noticed the call on the display. “It’s him, isn’t it?” Elijah asked, his voice aggravating.

Paulina nodded, her pulse quickening. What did James need now? Was this part of his plan? Or was he growing suspicious of her?

“Answer it,” Elijah said, his tone hardening. “Let’s see what he has to mention.”

Paulina stared at the telephone, her thumb soaring over the answer button. The weight of the USB force in her hand felt heavier than it must. 

She took a deep breath and pressed "Answer.”